Memories in the Attic
by Mel.K
Summary: Rory in her last year of Yale, has to make a decision that will affect the rest of her life. Primarily a RoryJess fanfic. (Now Finished)
1. I'll Give You Anything But My Liver

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Working Title

By Mel.K

A/N: This is my attempt at doing instalments. But beware, sometimes my imagination runs away with me and some of the chapters maybe quite long. Oh and sorry in advance for the "Gilmore girl" reference. It's cheesy I know, but what's a little cheese in the name of a good story? Please R and R!

"Rory! Wakeup!"

Rory stirred lazily, wondering why on earth she had to get up at… ELEVEN!!! Damn, hell, crap! She was late for brunch with Ben. They had started dating exactly a year ago today and he had called last night making sure she would definitely be there. Half an hour for a shower (if she was fast), fifteen minutes for her ritual five coffees and then the half hour drive to Hartford, (if the traffic was good). And she was already half an hour late.

As if by some immaculate mind-reading her cell phone started vibrating loudly on the table next to her, just as Lorelai, her mother sauntered in with a cup of fresh coffee.

"You're a God." Rory announces taking the coffee with one hand and answering the still vibrating phone with the other.

"Ben, hi."

"I know I said I'd meet you at ten-thirty."

"I know, I'm really sorry. I over slept."

"You could ask me now."

"Okay, give me an hour and we'll make it lunch at Luke's instead. At least we know there's good food there and an endless supply of coffee."

"Hey! You leave coffee outta this! What'd it ever do to you?"

"Okay, I'll see you soon."

"Was that insultage of coffee I was eavesdropping on?" Lorelai exclaimed in mock-horror.

"So we've moved on from 'overhearing'? I'm proud of you. And yea, Ben insists that I rely on coffee far too much. He thinks if I had the choice between a guy made of coffee and him, I'd choose the coffee guy."

"Wise man. The day they artificially engineer a coffee guy, Ben should be very worried." Lorelai commented with an air of seriousness.

An hour later, Ben and Rory were sitting opposite each other in Luke's Diner browsing through menus.

"So what'd you wanna ask me?" Rory asked putting her menu down.

"We should order first, food is always a welcome distraction from anything you don't want to hear or say."

Ben had almost completely talked himself out of asking her. He had no idea what her reaction might be or what her answer would be. At least if they food in front of them, he could pretend not to hear her over the crunching of his fries or have his mouth full, should he have to speak.

"What? It can't be that bad. Unless you want my liver or something, then it can be that bad and I'd definitely have to say no. Because as much as I love you, I love my liver too…" Ben interrupted her crazy ranting.

"Rory, stop. I don't want your liver."

"Well, my you already have my heart so it can't be that." Rory joked.

"How do you do that? How do you just bring something so meaningful and nice into everyday conversation and not feel like a tonne of bricks is about to be dropped on your head?" He was feeling more and more discouraged by the second.

"I don't know. It helps that my mom is the most honest, if not a little too honest, person I know. I guess I learnt from the best. Is everything okay? You don't actually want my liver do you?" Roy was getting a little worried by his sudden change in mood and seriousness.

"Enough with the liver. I don't want your liver. I want you to marry me." He turns in the direction of Luke who is standing behind the counter. "Okay, Luke. I think we're ready to order now."

Rory didn't know how to respond to this out of the blue proposition. I mean, they hadn't even talked about the concept of marriage, let alone getting married themselves. "Wow. Marriage? Really?" Was all she could muster. Before Ben could respond Luke appeared with notepad and pen. "Okay, what'll it be today? Besides hideous amounts of coffee."

"Actually, we're not quite ready to order." Rory replied. Luke wandered away muttering something about never thinking he'd see the day a Gilmore girl turned down food.

OK. That's it for now. Let me know what you think and if you like I'll continue!


	2. Now I'm Saying Yes

**Now, I'm saying yes**

**A/N:** I know I only just submitted the first chapter, but it's a Sunday afternoon, it's raining and I myself wanted to find out what would happen with Rory and Ben so here you go. R and R!

**Disclaimer:** I only own Ben and the surrounding events. Thank Amy Sherman-Palladino for the rest.

"Okay… Not quite the reply I was hoping for." Ben remarked.

"I mean, marriage is a huge step. We don't even live together." Rory was trying her best to bring reason into his peripheral vision.

"We go to the same school. We take lots of the same classes. We've been together for a year. And I'm not asking you to marry me tomorrow. Just eventually." It was all Ben could do to stop himself from standing up and walking away from the disastrous mess he'd started. Judging by the look on Rory's face, this day would not end happily. Just then a grin spread across her face. "Well, doesn't a proposal of this kind usually require a piece of jewellery of some description?"

"Are you saying yes?" Ben asked meekly.

"No. I'm asking where's my ring?" Hands shaking slightly, Ben pulled a small box from the pocket of his coat. He opened it, to reveal a delicate gold ring, with a small topaz stone balanced neatly on the top. He pulled it from it's home of the last two months and offered it to Rory.

Rory couldn't believe what she was seeing. The most beautiful ring she'd ever laid eyes on, had been bought for her. Furthermore, she couldn't believe she was saying yes. She put her hand out, allowing him to slip the ring gently onto her finger. She stared in awe at her hand, hardly believing it was in fact her hand with an engagement ring proudly displayed on it. Before she could think much more, they were both on the their feet.

Throwing her arms around Ben's neck, Rory began to giggle uncontrollably. It was like all her Christmas's had come at once. She was marrying the man she loved. She would soon be graduating from Yale University. Life didn't get much better than this.

Ben gently pulled away. "Since we're on the topic. Will you move in with me? And before you say no, let me try and talk you into it. My place is a five minute drive from Yale. It'll save you paying to live on campus. It'll be just you an me. Rent free, because my parents bought the place years ago for Samuel, but he moved to New Zealand, so they gave it to me…" Rory took the opportunity to interrupt him.

"Ben, I can't. And it's not because I don't want to. It's because living with you would be too much of a distraction. And with finals coming up and graduation, I need to focus on finishing school first. And you should too. But I'll move in during the summer. I promise." Rory compromised.

"Actually, I think you're right. I was being impulsive and graduating is definitely important, so yes, during the summer is perfect." Ben eased Rory's guilt and they abandoned their lunch date in order to tell everyone their good news.


	3. Old Enough

Old Enough

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A/N: Thanks for the reviews! This chapter takes place during the summer after Rory's graduation. R and R!

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Disclaimer: Still thanking Amy for the wonderful characters, except Ben coz he's mine.

As Rory watched her best friend play, she pondered the wonder of progression. Four years ago, Lane wouldn't have been allowed to play with a band in a place like the place they were in. A dingy bar in Hartford. Motorcycles parked out the front. Sleazy forty year olds coming onto every female in the joint. Yet it was the place Lane hated to leave. But in saying that, four years ago Rory would not have agreed to be getting married, yet here she was wearing an engagement ring.

"So? Did we rock or what?" Lane bounded over to Rory, drenched in sweat, demanding to praise on yet another great performance.

"You definitely rocked!" Rory encouraged with the utmost enthusiasm.

They left the bar and ended up back at Luke's, draining down more coffee than should be naturally possible, talking about the coming weeks.

"Oh my God! Does you're mom know? This is huge! When did you decide?" Lane had more questions than Rory cared to answer, but as her best friend Rory had an obligation to spill all the details.

"Well, we were just talking about it and sort of as a joke I said we should get married this weekend and he said 'Okay.' It was the last thing I expected him to say and I was kidding. Then he said maybe this weekend was too soon, but what about in a month. I had no idea what to say, but I figured, why not? You know? There's no point in delaying the inevitable. We're gonna get married anyway, why not do it right now? And getting married in Stars Hollow, where I grew up, with all the people I grew up with. How amazing would that be?" Rory had gone into ramble mode again and Lane needed time to absorb all the information.

"Rory, stop. So, you're getting married?" Rory nodded. "And you're getting married in three weeks?" Rory nodded again. "And you haven't told your mom yet?" Rory shook her head. "Okay, I think I'm up to speed, continue."

"Well actually, that's it. Except… Will you be my Maid of Honour?" Rory asked quietly, as if afraid of the answer she would get.

Lane got up and hugged her best friend. "I'm offended that you even had to ask! Of course I'll do it! I know we haven't been planning our wedding days since we were seven, but I imagined that I would be right beside you as you said 'I do' to that perfect guy! And that guy is Ben and that day is coming!" Lane exclaimed with all the energy she could muster. Rory sat smiling to herself. She'd never been able to imagine this moment. The moment when the plans for her life were finally cemented and final.

"It means a lot to me that you like Ben." Rory said simply to Lane.

"Of course I like him. You like him, so I like him."

"Yea, but it wasn't like that with… the others." She replied.

"I didn't like Jess, because I knew from the start that he was trouble and I was right! But I liked Dean and Adam and Daniel and Tristan. Until they broke your heart and then I stopped liking them as much." Lane retorted with confidence. "You have good taste in guys and you're an excellent judge of character. You're smart and wouldn't rush into anything you weren't ready for, so if marrying Ben is right for you, then I'm right there beside ya!"

"I hope my mom is as understanding as you are." Rory hoped.

"Rory, you're twenty-one years old, you've been making decisions for yourself since you could talk, your mom has always pushed you to be independent, what makes you think she won't support this marriage as much as she's supported every other decision you've ever made?" Lane demanded.

"Because now, she's got Luke and he's the King of over thinking and I'm afraid that he'll give my mom a sense of rationale she never used to have." Of things that could go wrong right now, having her mom disapprove would be the worst!

"Rory, stop over analysing this. Your mom is going to accept this, because you're her daughter and she loves you and she wants you to be happy." Lane explained calmly. "So, go. Go home. Talk to her and I will see you tomorrow. That is if you're still alive after your mom is done with you." Rory turned ghost white. "Relax. I was kidding. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"I'll see you later. Wish me luck with my mom." Rory told her.

"You don't need it. You have the world's coolest mom." Lane told her back.

Later, at the Gilmore house Rory and Lorelai were watching the Lord of the Rings extras for the millionth time with an array of takeaways spread in front of them. "That guy talks way too much. And that wouldn't so bad if some of what he had to say was at all interesting, but it's all blah, blah, blah." Lorelai commented.

"And if you hadn't seen it a thousand times already and didn't know what he's going to say." Rory retorted.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Lorelai admitted. Sometimes she wondered how her daughter got so smart. "So you wanna know something really funny? Today Michel was giving a tour of the Inn and he was in the stables with the guests and he dropped his phone. Easy mistake to make I know, but he happened to drop it under the horse…" Lorelai struggled to contain herself, the story was just too funny to be told without laughter. "…and he bends down to pick it up and Cletus pees all over him!"

"You're right. That is pretty funny." Rory lacked much enthusiasm, which basically told Lorelai all she needed to know. There was something wrong and she wanted to know who did it so she could beat their brains in.

"What happened? Who did it and why?" Lorelai demanded. She would beat it out of her she had to.

"Nothing's wrong, but I have to talk to you about something and you have to hear me out before you say anything. Okay?" Lorelai just stared at the younger Gilmore, willing her to continue. "Mom?"

"Okay. I won't say anything. Now speak."

"Okay. Ben and I have been talking and we've decided to get married in three weeks. And before you say anything, yes, I have thought it through carefully and yes, really do love Ben and no, I don't think it's a mistake. Does that answer all your questions?" Rory half didn't want to hear the answer, but she stayed watching her mother intently, trying to read her expression.

"Really? You're actually gonna do this? You're actually gonna get married?" Was all she asked.

"Yeah. I'm really gonna get married." Rory replied.

"You have no idea how proud I am of you! You've accomplished so much more in your life than I could ever have dreamed of and now you're getting married to a boy I totally approve of. Just tell me what you want and you'll get it. Doves, candles, balloons, you can have 'em. Hell if you want flying pigs, I'll get those too!" Lorelai pulled her daughter into a hug. To have a daughter like Rory was every parents dream, but it was her reality and she was so proud to see her daughter finally happy and settling down.

I know it's long and I know I said it's primarily a Rory/Jess fanfic and it is. I promise Jess is coming, just bear with me! R and R!


	4. Memories in the Attic

Memories in the Attic

A/N: Again thankyou for all the reviews and constructive criticism, and with all due respect, if you don't like my story… Don't read it!

Disclaimer: Still thankin' Amy for the character's that bring me my inspiration!

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I can't believe I'm finally getting married. In two days I'll be Mrs Ben Marris, Rory thought to herself as she sat in the attic putting all her stuff into boxes, ready to shift into Ben's after the wedding. It had all happened so fast. The wedding would be held at her grandparent's estate. The guests coming in from out of town would stay at her mom's Inn. Sookie was doing the catering. Everything was perfect.

She looked out the tiny smeared window into the sun. It was hard to imagine the rest of the world not being as happy as she was right at that moment. The sun was shining, her life finally made sense, her whole life's memories were boxed up in the attic around her, courtesy of her mother and she was ready to look through her past as she readied herself to move to her future.

Although there were hundreds of boxes surrounding her, the most intriguing ones were the "old boyfriend" boxes. She'd tried to throw them away dozens of times, but her mom, kept smuggling them back into the house, insisting that one day she'd wish she had them, and right now she was glad she did.

She opened the first one. Tristan. Boyfriend for three months in her second year at Yale. She'd known him for a while at Chilton, but they ran into each other at a party and then dated for a while. There wasn't really much in his box. A stuffed bear he won for her at a carnival. An old sweatshirt she'd borrowed after they got caught in the rain. A couple of pictures, nothing life-altering.

The next one however pulled on some pretty major heart strings. Dean. Her first boyfriend. The first guy she'd ever loved. There were millions of memories in his box. Pictures of the car he built for her. A bracelet he'd given her. CD's. Her Stars Hollow High year book. A couple of years after they had broken up, Rory was having problems in her life and Dean was having trouble in his marriage and she ended up losing her virginity to him. That's why it was important now that she still had all her good memories of when they first met. They were still friends now, but things never went back to normal. Dean sorted things out with his wife after learning she was pregnant, which is great. They now have a baby daughter. She really did take after her dad, big blue eyes and a huge smile.

And of course logically it seemed appropriate to move on from the Dean box to the Jess box as she had in reality. (except they weren't boxes) Ah, yes. After Jess had left, Rory didn't think her heart would ever heal. He'd left a bigger hole than the others. Even Dean hadn't left as big a scar as Jess had. Even to this day, she sometimes wonders what life would have been like if she'd accepted his offer to run away with him after her first year at Yale. It was almost impossible. Life with Jess was so unpredictable. She could have been back in Stars Hollow within a month, or she could still be "away" with him now. Even though it seemed almost adolescent, every now and then when the phone rang, she subconsciously wished it would be him. She puddled through the Jess box. She pulled out "The Holy Barbarian". She'd bribed him with it, so he would go to dinner with her and her grandma. That was the one thing she'd never been able to share with anyone else. Her love for great literature. No one else understood her need to sit quietly and read. Even Ben didn't couldn't understand it. Next she came across the lyrics for "Guns of Brixton" by The Clash. He'd written them while she was trying to tutor him. He was meant to be writing Shakespeare. That was also the day he'd crashed the car Dean built for her and fractured her wrist. But despite all that, she still loved him. He'd done some of the most romantic things in his effort to win her affections, in fact most people would never know that part of Jess for as long as they lived. He'd out-bid Dean for her lunch basket a few years ago. He'd sat up for twenty-four hours while Rory danced at the Dance Marathon. He'd never said a word when she kissed him at Sookie's wedding and despite all the leaving without a word, she knew that he really did love her. Mainly because he told her so, but…

It had been a long time since Rory had thought about Jess in much depth. It had been two years nearly to the day since she last saw him. She'd moved on, gotten on with her life. Had he? Did he still work at Wal-Mart, counting down the days 'til he would appear out of the blue in Stars Hollow with an insane proposition. Did he read the books they had enjoyed together, thinking of her? He told her they were meant for each other. That he knew it the first time he'd laid eyes on her. If that were so, why was she sitting in her attic surrounded by all these memories, thinking about him, while preparing to marry someone else? It may seem irrational, but there's no way she could completely commit to Ben without knowing the answer. She couldn't live the rest of her life wondering 'what if?'


	5. Your Winter

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Your Winter

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A/N: Thanks for reading and thanks for reviewing.

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Disclaimer: Thanks Amy!

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"The grey ceiling on the earth  
Well it's lasted for a while  
Take my thoughts for what they're worth  
I've been acting like a child  
In your opinion, and what is that?  
It's just a different point of view What else can I do?  
I said I'm sorry, yeah I'm sorry.  
I said I'm sorry , but what for?  
If I hurt you then I hate myself  
I don't want to hate myself, don't want to hurt you  
Why do you choose your pain?  
If you only knew how much I love you, love you

I won't be your winter

And I won't be anyone's excuse to cry

We can be forgiven

And I will be here………"

Sister Hazel blared through the speakers of his cheap stereo. He threw the shoe he was holding at it. He didn't even like Sister Hazel, so the fact that this particular song reminded him of what a shmuck was, wasn't helping their cause. It wasn't like Jess to get sentimental. He was the cool guy, who kept to himself and disregarded everyone and all their feelings. So why was it, that two years down the line, he still found himself listening to crap music and thinking about the cause of these sentimental feelings?

He should hate her. After turning him down and causing the only emotional pain Jess had ever felt, he should be glad that she was now someone else's problem. But he wasn't. After all, he'd brought it on himself. He knew she would say no. He knew that he was only setting himself up for disappointment, yet he asked her, begged her anyway.

This couldn't be happening. Jess was due to be getting married to Jemima, in three months. They'd met at a party and Jess figured she'd be a welcome distraction from the daily Rory-a-thon. The screen would light up inside his head and all his memories of Rory would spill onto it. But it was so much more than a movie. There were smells and feelings to accompany every scene. Like how scared he'd been the day he'd crashed her car. The guilt he felt that her pain was his fault. Or the day she'd broken up with Dean. Delight at the fact that she would soon be his. The overwhelming need to wipe away every tear, when he'd found her crying on the bridge. The warmth he felt every time she looked at him. The unbearable pain of the last time he saw her. The last word she'd said to him had been "no". And the final scene, replaying whenever he was alone. "NO!" Walking away was the last thing he wanted to do. She'd said no with a finality that most people would find discouraging, but Jess wanted to stay and beg her 'til she agreed. But he didn't. She'd said no for a reason and he would've rather pulled his eyes out with his bare hands, than cause her anymore pain, so he turned and without a word, walked away.

Jemima! He had to, no needed to stop this. He appreciated Jemima. She loved him and he… Rory didn't love him and that's all there was to it. She'd chosen not to be his and he had to deal with that. He had a new life now and so did she. She was getting married. Luke hadn't said it in as many words, but Jess got the picture. He wished Luke hadn't called to tell him. It was none of his business. Why would Luke think that after two years, Jess would want to know what was going on in her life? Because Luke knew. He knew how it felt to love someone and not have them love you back. And he knew that no matter how hard it was to hear, Jess would want to be told that Rory was getting married. Rory belonged to someone else now and it hurt.

As Jemima entered the small living room Jess had previously been watching the Rory-movie in, Jess retrieved the shoe he'd thrown and continued getting ready for work.

"Are you okay? Why is the stereo on the floor?" Jemima enquired politely.

"I got mad. It's no big deal." He replied flatly.

"You got mad at the stereo? I'm sure, whatever it did, it's sorry. Seriously what's on your mind?" She asked again.

"Nothing. I'm fine. Just fine."


	6. Heartbreaker

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Heartbreaker

A/N: Hi y'all! Back with another chapter to keep you fed and at bay for a while at least! I promised you Jess there, you got a bit of him! Umm… Maybe if there's anything you wanna see that hasn't been covered in other fanfics let me know and I'll see what I can do. Not to worry though, the "Memories" well has far from dried up I just wanna know what everyone wants to read. OK well keep reviewing and loving my work! Oh and this chapter is happening at the exact same time as the last one.

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Disclaimer: Thanks Amy!

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"Boy your love's so good  
I don't wanna let go  
And although I should  
I can't leave you alone  
Cause you're so disarming  
I'm caught up in the midst of you  
And I cannot resist at all  
Boy if I do  
The things you wanna to  
The way I used to do  
Could you love me baby  
You leave me feelin' used  
Cause you go and break my heart Heartbreaker you've got the best of me  
But I just keep on comin' back incessantly  
Oh why did you have to run your game on me  
I should have known right from the start  
You'd go and break my heart………" 

Rory slammed her hand against the car stereo, as she sat at a red light. Ugh! Mariah Carey? Who listens to her anymore? Especially on a day like this! But old Mariah was right. Rory knew that all Jess was, was a heart breaker and that all she was achieving by doing this was confirming everything she already knew. And of course how better to make her already down-spiralling day better, than to have her fiancé call her cell phone to ask where she was after missing their appointment with the minister, for their wedding the following day. "Hello?" She answered the phone with apprehension, as the number was private not allowing her to decide whether or not she wanted to speak to the mystery caller.

"Rory, it's me."

"Lane?" She almost died with relief.

"Yeah, where are you? You were supposed to be at the bridal shop and hour ago for your final fitting."

"Uh, Lane. I'm sort of busy right now can I call you later?" Rory needed desperately to get off the phone so she didn't end up spilling the whole situation to her best friend.

"Where are.. Are you driving? I can hear car sounds. Where are you going? Rory, you're getting married tomorrow. Now is not the time to be getting cold feet and running away from this." Lane just went on and on, hoping that her yammering might shock Rory back to reality and send her right on home.

"I'm not running away, I'm just…" Rory trailed off, hoping that Lane would take the hint.

"You're just what? If you're leaving me here to explain to everyone why you won't be taking that trip down the aisle tomorrow, then you're going to tell me exactly why." Lane demanded. Rory pulled over. She only wanted to say this once and trying to concentrate on two very different tasks was not the way to go about it. "Okay. I'm not running away. I'm going to see Jess so I can…" Before Rory could finish her explanation Lane interrupted with a somewhat obvious question. "You're going to see who? Jess? Why would you go see Jess? He hasn't been around for like two years! Why are you doing this to yourself Rory?" Lane had more questions, as usual than Rory could answer.

"Lane, stop. I'm going to say it once and then you can ask your questions. Okay? Good. I'm going to see Jess to make sure he doesn't love me. And before you ask me why I care, it's because I _think_ I still love him. And I said _'think'_. Seeing him again will either confirm or deny that suspicion and then I'll know. He's not expecting me, he may not remember me, but either way I have to know if Jess is the one. Because if he is then I could quite possibly be ruining my own and Ben's life by marrying him tomorrow! Nobody wants to love someone who doesn't reciprocate that love and if I'm not his 'one' then I'm depriving someone else of their 'one'. Technically two people. My 'one and Ben's 'one'. Do you understand Lane?" Lane was obviously still trying to catch up, digesting as much information as she could. "Lane?" Rory asked again.

"I only have one question. What happens if Jess is the one? What happens to Ben and the wedding? But you don't need to answer now. They're just for you to think about while you drive to… Actually where are you driving to?"

"New York." Rory told her.

"Right New York. It's probably a good thing I know, so your mom doesn't call the FBI when you don't turn up for dinner tonight." Lane was trying to put a light swing on things but it only made Rory feel worse.

"Lane, I have to go, but explain everything to Mom. Don't say anything to Ben until I call. All going according to plan, I'll be back in time to get married tomorrow afternoon."

"Okay. And Rory? Good luck." Lane wanted Rory to have whatever made her happy and if road tripping over night to see her ex-boyfriend made her happy then that's what she would get support for.


	7. Unexpected Turn of Events

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Unexpected Turn of Events

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A/N: Hey thanks for the reviews! And in response, you're totally right about CA being on the other side of the country, so I've changed it! I don't live in the States so you'll have to forgive the error! Keep letting me know about technical stuff like that, so I can keep it real! And the running away the day before the wedding was absolutely inspired by the Lorelai/Max thing! I figured like mother like daughter right? Keep it real guys!!

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Disclaimer: Thanks Amy!! Maybe if you're actually seeing what the fans want, maybe you could take a hint and bring Jess back!! Bribe Milo if you have to!!

Hanging up from Lane, Rory pulled back into the flow of traffic. What was that supposed to mean? What happens to Ben and the wedding? Maybe Lane was right. Now is not the time to be going breaking hearts. Maybe should turn around, forget about Jess and get married. She already knew that Jess wasn't her 'one', so why was she putting herself through this? Thank God! Her sense had finally had decided to return to her, giving her the motivation to turn around. Just as she had pulled a U-turn, her cell phone started ringing again. Private number. Didn't anyone trust anyone to answer their phones anymore? It had to be Lane, she'd probably thought of one more thing to discourage her impulsiveness.

"Lane? It's okay. I've turned around, I'm coming home." She reassured her friend.

"Rory?" This voice wasn't Lane's. In fact in wasn't even female.

"Ben?"

"No, it's Jess."

"What? How did you get this number?" She demanded. Although he was the person she'd been running away to, he was also the person she'd decided not to run away to and him calling right at this moment was not helping her get married campaign.

"Uh, Lane just called me." He sounded almost scared of her reaction.

"She what? Oh my God. What did she say to you? I'm going to New York to pick up something. Under no circumstances, was I going to see you! " Rory had to pull over again. This was not a conversation she wanted to have while in control of a large, potentially dangerous machine.

"She didn't say you were coming here." Jess added with a hint of confusion.

"Oh." Rory had completely dropped herself in it this time.

"She just told me that you're getting married. I mean Luke already told me, but I guess Lane just called to remind me in case I'd forgotten or something. Anyway, I just wanted to say congratulations."

"And that's it? You called the day before my wedding, to innocently say congratulations? I know you Jess. You never do anything unless it might benefit you in some way or other. If you're hoping that I'll just drop everything and come running back to you, you're seriously mistaken. You left, four times without so much as goodbye!" Rory was on a roll, she wanted to know exactly what Jess thought he would get out of ringing her like this.

"Actually, that's sort of why I called. To say goodbye. I know it's been a long time and I know you deserved it a long time ago, but this is it. Bye Rory. And this is benefiting me. I needed to know from you that you didn't love me anymore, so I could move on and know you had moved on too. So, that's it. We're both moving on. I'm getting married in three months and you're getting married tomorrow. Bye Rory." Before Rory could say anything, Jess had hung up. Did he say he was getting married? That simply wasn't possible! He was marrying someone he didn't love, just like she was. No! She loved Ben and Ben loved her! That's the way it was and that's the way it would be! Again Rory pulled back into the flow of traffic and continued on, back to Stars Hollow.

About a few miles on, she'd nearly reached Hartford. The radio was blaring out old rock favourites. Suddenly, "Guns of Brixton" by The Clash came on. Rory turned her thoughts back to the box in her attic. As if by some magic pull, Rory swung the car around and headed back towards New York.


	8. Goodbye Rory

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Goodbye Rory

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A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing.

Disclaimer: Thanks Amy!

"What am I doing? Please turn around and walk away!" Rory silently begged her feet. Her body seemed to have a mind of it's own. Her head was saying "walk away", but her heart and body was saying "you need to see him." Rory had no idea what she was going to say to him. She had just walked up nine flights of stairs, hoping it would give her time to think of a really good excuse for being in his apartment building, or give her rationale time to return. Both had failed her. Here she was standing at his door, none the wiser. No good opening line and no reason as to why she was here. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to walk away. Neither could she knock on the door. So she was standing in the middle of the hallway, not walking away and not knocking on any doors, looking like an idiot.

As if fate was testing her, the door to his apartment swung open. To her temporary relief he had his back to her, yelling something about being home by five, to somebody inside. Rory took the chance to walk away, before he could see her. She had gotten halfway to the elevator when she heard her name. "Rory?" She turned slowly to face him. For a minute at least, neither of them said a word. Finally Jess broke the silence. "Why'd you come here?" Rory took her time answering the question. Seeing him again really took it's toll on her. He looked the same. Same dark hair, same mysterious, brown eyes, same Metallica t-shirt, same everything. He didn't even look as if he'd aged. But he wasn't the only thing that remained the same. The feeling she got every time she saw him, that was the same too. It'd never left her. "I wanted you to look me in the face and say goodbye." She told him with the suspecting feeling that he wouldn't be able to.

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"It's important in any relationship, to let the other person know you appreciate them so you don't create barriers that might delay any hope for reciprocation." Jess wished he hadn't remembered that particular conversation at this moment. He was supposed to be convincing himself that he no longer needed Rory. He no longer lived and breathed for her. And in order to convince himself of this, he first needed to convince her. "Goodbye Rory." He said in a flat tone and continued down the hall past her.

What? That in no way was what Rory expected to hear. "That's it? Goodbye Rory? That's all you can come up with?" Now furious that she'd come all this way just for him to tell her 'goodbye' she demanded an explanation.

"That's what you asked for. You told me to look you in the face and say goodbye, so I did." He tried to persuade her, as well as himself that, that was the real reason. Rory just stared at him with tired eyes. She'd been on the road for the last five hours. She'd just confronted her ex-boyfriend, who she was still in love with even though she was engaged to someone else, she had just heard from him exactly what she expected to hear and she now had to drive another five hours back to her fiancé, where she should have been all along. "You're getting married tomorrow Rory. And not to me. I'm sorry you came all the way to New York to hear that, but you let me walk away." Jess reminded her.

"Okay, I'm with someone else, but it never stopped you when we were in high school, when I was dating Dean." Rory couldn't let that be it. She didn't just risk her entire life's happiness, to be told to go away.

"That was different. You weren't engaged to Dean. I was young and blinded by…" He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. Not when he was almost winning the 'I-don't-love-you-anymore battle.

"Go on. Say it. You were blinded by love. You said it yourself, you needed to hear me tell you that I had moved on, so you could move on too. Thus meaning you hadn't previously moved on. So here I am telling you that I haven't moved on and you're throwing it in my face!" That was it. She couldn't believe she was begging someone to love her, when he quite obviously didn't. "If that's the way you want to leave it, fine. It was lovely to see you again, I hope you have a very happy life with your job and your wife that you don't love and all that Lady Luck may bring you. Goodbye Jess." Rory spat out in the most sarcastic tone she'd used in a while.

Good. She was mad at him. It would make it easier to get over him if she hated him. _'Yeah right cool guy.' _Jess thought to himself. '_You've waited two years to hear her say that to you, why are you letting her walk out of your life?' _Jess didn't have answers for the questions his conscience was throwing at him. But he knew that even though he just rebuilt them, it was time to burn all those bridges, let go of the façade and tell her what was really on his mind. But of course, by the time he'd come to realise all of this, Rory had already walked away. Gone. It was now or never. He made a run for the elevator hoping that he might catch her before she left his life forever. All the great boy-meets-girl movies did it all the time and just as you thought he'd miss her, there she was sobbing in a corner, waiting for him to come to his senses and console her. But this was no movie and by the time Jess reached the front doors Rory's car was disappearing into the heavy flow of midday New York traffic.


	9. Have You Seen My Keys

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Have You Seen My Keys?

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A/N: I didn't receive as many reviews for the last chapter, so I'm thinking I might wrap it up soon. I'd hate to be boring you guys half to death! R &R and let me know. And if there's anything you wanna see before I end it let me know. Oh and I'm not sure if I'm allowed to do this, but if you're a true GG Fanfic Fan then you **HAVE** to read "The Orange Soda Will Get You Every Time" by Lipton Lee! It is a true example of a great story! Of course I'm probably just a late bloomer and y'all have probably read it!!

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Disclaimer: Thanks Amy!

Why is it, that whenever you need something, you can't find it, and then it pops up in the most obvious place when they're no longer needed? He'd checked everywhere. The junk bowl on the counter, the coffee table, the pockets of every item of pocketed clothing he owned, the laundry basket, hell, he'd even checked the fridge and microwave.

"Have you seen my keys?" Jess asked Jemima, who was still sitting at the dining table, where she'd been sitting when he left for work, but ended up running into Rory.

"Aren't you like an hour late for work? She asked him in reply.

"Yep. My keys?" He asked again.

"So what? You're just not gonna go today? We talked about this Jess. To live, we need money and to get money we have to work." She told him as if he were in kindergarten.

"Ah jeez! I called Joe and told him I was sick! He's not gonna miss the guy who files books for one day. Again, my keys?" He was getting sick of the interrogation.

"Okay, so if you're not going to work, why do you need your keys?" She asked already knowing the answer. "You're going to see _her _aren't you?" Again, not needing an answer she continued. "I heard her yelling at you. Don't go to her. You're marrying me, remember?" Jemima pleaded with him to gain some sense.

"Whatever, I gotta go." He shrugged off his fiancé, like he'd shrugged off Rory all those years ago.

"NO! Not whatever! You can't just walk out like that without an explanation! I'm your fiancé Jess! Not some cheap whore, you can brush off whenever Ronnie decides to surface again!"

"Rory. Her name is Rory." He told her calmly.

"I DON'T CARE WHAT HER NAME IS!" Jemima had resorted to yelling as a desperate last attempt to shock Jess back to reality. Calming herself slightly she continued. "Maybe you should go to her. And she can break your heart once again. And then you can come home and hope I'll still be here to pick up the pieces. But I won't. If you go, that's it. I won't be here to run back to. If you choose her over me now, it'll be the last and only time you do it. I won't forgive you for that Jess. So choose. Right here and right now." She handed the ultimatum to him on a silver platter and hoped for the best.

Without a word, Jess discovered his keys on top of the fridge. He turned and walked out the door, leaving a broken hearted Jemima behind.

There was no way he was getting off that easily. If he wanted to go, she wasn't gonna try and stop him, but she deserved a goodbye at the very least. She knew Jess well enough to know that if he could help it, he wouldn't say a word. He'd slip out silently like coward and run away from his mistakes. Well not this time. She wanted closure and she was damn well going to get it. With that thought in mind, she mustered up her last shreds of dignity and stormed out the door after him, hoping to catch him before the elevator swallowed him whole. "JESS!"

Why did he always get involved with the talkers? There had to be an explanation and "closure" for everything. Why couldn't chicks just let things be? Why did they need to make life just that tiny bit harder? However, she didn't deserve to be ignored, so he turned slowly on his heel to face her.

"You're a coward Jess Mariano and you'll always be a coward. But as true as that is, I deserve a goodbye. You owe me that much!"

The doors to the elevator slid open. "Goodbye." And with that he stepped into the elevator and out of her life.

On the short trip to the ground floor, he'd momentarily considered going back. Jemima really did love him and she was a cool chick. It just happened that as much as Jess wanted to move on and forget about Rory, he couldn't. And if he cared about Jemima at all, he couldn't let her marry someone that didn't love her back. There was someone out there for her, that someone just wasn't him. So when the doors slid open, he stepped out without hesitating and made for his car.

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"Where do you wanna be in life?" His uncle had asked him. "About two miles south of wherever you are!" Jess had retorted snidely. It's ironic how the one place he hated, the town that didn't care for him much either was the one place he was trying to get back to. It possessed memories and feelings and people that he wasn't too fond of going back to, but however much he didn't want to go back, it was the only place he'd find her. The only place he was sure he could convince her to forgive him.


	10. Even Angels Fall

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Even Angels Fall

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A/N: Thanks for the feedback!

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Disclaimer: Thanks Amy!

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"You found hope, you found faith.  
Found how fast she could take it away.  
Found true love, but lost your heart.  
Now you don't know who you are. She made it easy, made it free.  
Made you hurt 'til you couldn't see.  
Sometimes it stops, sometimes it flows.  
But baby, that is how love goes. You will fly and you will crawl.  
God knows even angels fall.  
No such thing as you've lost it all.  
God knows even angels fall………"

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"And that was Jessica Riddle with 'Even Angels Fall.' That was from a young lady who preferred to be known as LLG, to the guy who's not listening right now. If you're out there buddy, I'm sorry man, she sounds a little heart broken. I'm Mark Ferguson keeping you company all the way home on Drive time at Five, on New York's WHCR, 90.3 FM. If you'd li…" Jess switched off the radio. _Poor guy_, thought to himself. That had to be humiliating, having your girl play you a "breaking up" song on national radio. At least she was kind enough not to name him on air. LLG! Lorelai Leigh Gilmore! Ah jeez! Now he'd have to ring in and play a song back to her and it would be this whole damn thing! As if going back to Stars Hollow wasn't enough!

Rory reached for the off switch to the radio, tears streaming down her face. She'd gone all the way to New York for what? She knew this is how the story would end. She knew she'd drive all the way back to Stars Hollow and get married to Ben tomorrow and live happily ever after, in a nice house, in a nice town, with nice children and nice neighbours. The entire rest of her life would be nice. Nice. Such a mediocre word compared with the last eight hours of her life. It had been filled with uncertainty, unpredictability and as happy as Ben made her, he was just like Dean had been all those years ago. Safe. Loving. Caring. Nice. And she knew they should be qualities she wanted in a guy, but since Jess, every guy she'd considered dating had been measured up to him. And 'safe' wasn't a word she'd use when describing Jess. Yeah, he loved her and yeah, he cared about her, or used to. But there was something more. Something she couldn't put into words. Whenever she used to see him, her heart would jump into her throat. He made her want to be adventurous. To take risks. And if it weren't for the sane side of her brain, she wouldn't be driving back to Stars Hollow right now. She'd probably be working for peanuts in an editors office, getting all the big wigs coffee. But it wouldn't matter, because she'd be going home at the end of the day to a man she loved. And they would moan about how tired they were and they'd go to bed, the same bed and fall asleep knowing that they had each other and that was all they needed.

Rory snapped herself out of her day dream in time to catch her turn off to Hartford. _"Nearly there," _she thought to herself. It was getting near on eight 'o' clock. She laughed out loud to herself. So much for a hen's night.

Even taking every short cut he knew of, Jess was still at least two hours behind Rory. There was no way, he'd catch her before ten and by then she'd either be asleep, or out partying up large, drowning her sorrows and celebrating her marriage the following day. Damn fool! Why did he insist on making things so complicated? If he'd said what he meant in the first place, he wouldn't be here. He'd be in a nice hotel somewhere, anywhere. With the girl he loved, holding on to her for dear life, for fear that things between them might fall apart again. But they wouldn't. Because he loved her and she loved him and that's all that mattered.

A sharp jerking and decrease in speed, shook Jess out of his day (late-afternoon) dream. What? No way was this happening to him right now. Not when he had things to do, places to be, fiancé's to steal. He stole a quick glance a the fuel gauge. The little orange pointer thing was about half a centimetre below the 'E.' "Oh c'mon!" He yelled in exasperation. He managed to manoeuvre his car off the road before it putted to a complete stop. Getting out, he slammed the door behind him. Someone was really testing him this time. Going through his list of options, he realised, he didn't really have many. With about seventy dollars to his name, he decided to hitch as far as the public of Connecticut were willing to take him. He hastily grabbed his jacket off the passenger seat and locked the doors. Out of the jacket pocket fell a small box. Landing right at Jess's feet he picked it up. Opening it her realised what it was. When he'd proposed to Jemima, it was completely unplanned so he'd never bought her a ring. And on as low a budget as they were he couldn't really afford it. So after months of saving, he'd bought it for her yesterday, planning on giving it to her today. And then Rory showed up. He stuffed it back into his pocket and continued down the empty highway on foot.

After, maybe half an hour, a middle aged woman with two kids asleep in the back pulled over beside him.

"Where're you headin' to, darlin'?" She drawled in an almost fake southern accent.

"Uh, Stars Hollow." He replied.

"Get in. I can take ya as far as Hartford." With that Jess got into the car and prayed for time to pass quicker. There was nothing worse than having to make small talk with a stranger, when you were in their car and you had a long journey ahead.

"So, why Stars Hollow? I bet it's girl. It's a girl right?" Not really wanting to answer, Jess hesitated. "I don't mean to be nosy, but a good lookin' kid like yourself, not travelling with a girl, has to be travelling to get to a girl."

"Ah jeez. You've been watching too many movies." Jess told her rudely.

"So it's not a girl?" She asked again. Jess figured the only way to get this woman to shut up, was to tell her exactly what she wanted to hear.

"Yeah, it's a girl."

"I knew it!" She squealed excitedly. "So all those movies paid off! What's her name?"

"Rory." He told her flatly.

"Rory. Now that is a pretty name. I bet's she's pretty as hell too right?" She asked, still craving more details of the young stranger's love-life.

"Uh, you know, I'm tired. Could you wake me when we get to Hartford?"

"Oh sure. Silly me! Of course you're tired and here I am yammering on like there's no tomorrow…" Jess interjected. "Uh.." "Sorry. Being quiet now." Jess turned slightly and leaned his head against the window and pretended to be asleep.

"Honey?" The woman said, shaking Jess slightly to wake him up. He'd actually fallen asleep, surprising, considering the day he had ahead of him.

"Oh, uh… What's the time?" He asked her.

"It's about ten after midnight." The later it got, the worse her accent seemed to be. "We're in Hartford now, so this is your stop."

"Oh right. Okay, well thanks. Seeya round." Jess said and got out of the car. As he started to walk away, he woman called out to him. "Son? Here," she said handing him a twenty dollar bill.

"Oh no I couldn't…" Jess tried to give it back to her.

"Really, you'd be doin' me a favour. One day, when I die. The good looking guy at the gates to Heaven is gonna look back on this moment and see that I did do one good thang for somebody. It's not much, but it'll get ya a cheap motel room for the night."

"Uh… Okay, well thanks." As he stood watching the woman drive away, he wondered how someone could be so nice to a stranger. But in saying that, not everyone was like him.

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	11. Moving On

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Moving On

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A/N: Hi, thanks for the great reviews!

Disclaimer: Thanks Amy! And s'pose I should thank all the artists whose songs I've borrowed. Sister Hazel, Mariah Carey and Jessica Riddle. Thanks.

"Lane?" Rory called, letting herself into her best friends apartment.

"Yeah?" Lane called back, obviously not expecting it to be Rory.

"I'm back." Lane ran out of the bathroom, toothbrush still in hand, foam around her mouth.

"Oh my God! Hold on." She tried to say while struggling to contain the foaming mess in her mouth. She disappeared back into the bathroom and after a frenzy of spitting and running water she reappeared, no longer foaming at the mouth and ready to ask every question imaginable.

"So? What happened? What did you say to him? What did he tell you back? Does he look the same? Why isn't he with you? Okay… Stopping now, so you can answer." Lane zipped the imaginary zipper on her mouth and gestured for Rory to start.

"Okay. I went to New York. I told him I hadn't moved on. He told me to go away. Yes. He looks the same. And he's not here because he told me to go away." Rory answered each question in the order it had been asked.

"Really? He told you to go away? Start from the start."

"From the start? Okay, well it's really all your fault. And before you ask how, wait and I'll tell you. I was driving to New York and then you called me telling me that I was out of my mind. I kept driving regardless. Then Jess called me, right after you had called him and told me congratulations on the wedding. I then proceeded to ask him why he was calling and he said that he needed to know I had moved on before he could move on. He then went on to tell me that he was also calling to give me my long awaited goodbye. So that's it. He said goodbye and then hung up." Lane had to unzip the zipper.

"Really? He said goodbye?" Rory held a hand up that instantly silenced Lane and she continued.

"So, I turned around all prepared to come home. Then I was a few miles from Hartford and 'Guns of Brixton' started playing…" Lane had to interrupt again.

"Ooh, great song!" Rory again, held her hand up indicating that she still wasn't done.

"Anyway, 'Guns of Brixton' started playing and I on a whim, turned the car around and headed back towards New York. Then, just as I got there, Jess was leaving his apartment. I turned and chickened out. But, as luck would have it, he saw me, so I decided to confront him. I told him I hadn't moved on and he in reply told me that he didn't want to steal another guys fiancé and that I should go home and get married, because he himself is getting married in three months. So I left and here I am now, recounting the story to you." Rory took a deep breath.

"That doesn't sound like it was my fault. It sounds like you haven't moved on and wanted to steal back the guy you haven't moved on from." Lane was proud of the conclusion she'd come to.

"Well, that's just the thing. There's only so many times a girl can be told no, before she actually does move on, so that's just what I've done. I had a long trip back to gather my thoughts and I have moved on. So you're here and I'm here and we're going to celebrate my marriage to Ben.

"Are you sure you want to marry him?" Was the only question Lane had left.

"Yes. Definitely yes. Where else am I going to find a guy that loves me and cares about me as much as Ben does? No, marrying Ben is what I want." Rory answered without a trace of doubt in her voice.

"Okay, well just give me an apron and call me Shelley."

"Who?" Rory became confused.

"You know, the bar maid from Cheers?"

"I think that was the actresses name." Rory told her.

"Anyway… I heard you had a date with Jack tonight."

"With who?"

"Goes by the last name of Daniels." Lane hinted, hoping her friend would bet a clue. Suddenly clarity hitting her like a brick in the head, Rory clicked on.

"Ohh, Jack! Yes, I do and we're double dating with my good friend Shelley and her date Jim." She retorted, joining the game.

"Really? Beam? What sort of a last name is that?" Lane complained.

"Well you're the one who gave me Jack!"

The banter continued as Lane and Rory drank their bottles dry. But as they gave in to the temptations of sleep Rory's mind was anywhere but on the wedding the following day. In fact it was still on the floor of Jess's apartment corridor. It was hard to move on when a part of you belonged to someone else. But that's what she had to do. She'd have to learn to live without the part of her that Jess owned and do exactly what she set out to do in the first place. Move on.


	12. Do You Rory

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Chapter 12

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A/N: Hey, I'm wrapping up soon, so you won't have to put up with too much more of my drivel!

Thanks for sticking with the story, even though it hasn't been quite what you've wanted!

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Disclaimer: Thanks Amy!

Eleven o clock. Only two hours until Rory would be Mrs Ben Marris And despite yesterday, she was happier than ever. Her dress was beautiful. It wasn't quite as extravagant as the one her mother had worn when she married Luke, but it was beautiful nonetheless. It flowed simply down her body leaving a short train behind her. It was an off the shoulder gown, with small daisies embroidered around the hem. Rory had worn lovely dresses before, but this one put all the others to shame. It made her feel, loved and cared for and adult. It made her want to marry Ben even more.

"Rory? RORY!!" Screamed Lorelai from the front door of their house.

"Mom?" Rory screamed back.

"No, Diane Lane, of course Mom! There's something you should know." She told her daughter.

"What? What is it? What's wrong?" Through Rory's head, screened every imaginable bad thing that could happen today.

"I just thought you should know, that you look beautiful and I'm so proud of you. And I love you very, very much."

"Mom! I thought you were gonna tell me, Ben got cold feet or something! But thankyou and I love you too." She replied.

There could not have been a worse day to have an accident on the motorway. Jess had overslept until nine leaving him about ten minutes to catch the nine-fifteen bus to Stars Hollow. Then, making it onto the bus by the skin of his teeth, he was only to find, three minutes into the trip that there had been an accident and there could be up to a four hour delay. Maybe fate was testing him. Or maybe it was trying to tell him something. Maybe it was telling him to leave Rory be. He'd already broken her heart on more than one occasion. Maybe it was time to let her marry whatshisname and move on. But on the other hand, she didn't love whatshisname. Not like she loved Jess. And he knew that. He knew that because she told him. He had nothing to lose. He'd already lost Jemima, he'd quite probably lost his job after failing not to call today and he would lose Rory forever too if he didn't get to Stars Hollow before the wedding. Without thinking, he got off the bus and made a run for it. If he was lucky, it would only take him a couple of hours to walk there. And at this stage he really had no other option. Before he stepped off the bus, the bus driver stopped him.

"Hey, Buddy. What's the hurry? I can't give you your money back."

"Keep it. I'm late for a wedding." He said, again going to step off the bus driver stopped him.

"Hey. There's a car rental joint right next to the bus station. You could probably rent a motorbike or something and skip right past the accident."

With that Jess ran the ten minute trip back to Hartford and found the rental place. However the only rental "motorbike" they had available, was a green scooter. He almost turned it down, but not before realising that he couldn't really afford to be picky. Handing over his cash, he took the scooter and motored it in the direction of Stars Hollow.

Instead of the more traditional "Wedding March", Rory and Ben had decided to go with Dream a Little Dream of Me for their wedding song. As Luke escorted Rory up the aisle to that song, Ben stood at the altar, looking like the proudest and happiest man alive. Tears coated Rory's eyes as she walked past her mom, who was undoubtedly crying. She reached Ben (finally) and handed her flowers to Lane, who was standing proudly at her side. Ben took a hold of Rory's hand. It wasn't until then, that she realised how nervous he was. His palm was sweaty and he was shaking ever so slightly. She took hold of his hand, with both of hers to comfort him. Nothing was going to separate them. Not now, not ever. The crowd that had gathered for their wedding, sat down and the minister stepped up to the altar.

"We all have been gathered here today, to witness the joining in holy matrimony of Rory and Ben. If anyone has any reason as to why we shouldn't continue, please. Speak now, or forever hold your peace."

On instinct, Rory looked towards the back of the group. But there was no one there. Lane touched her lightly on the shoulder, as if to say, 'I know what you're think and he's not here'. No one having said a word, the minister continued.

"Do you Benjamin Marris take Lorelai Gilmore to be your wife? To have and to hold from this day forward. To honour and to cherish, in good times and in bad. In sickness and in health, 'til death do you part?" Without hesitating, Ben answered.

"Yes. I definitely do." His grip on Rory's hand tightened. The minister continued.

"And do you Lorelai Gilmore take Benjamin Marris to be your husband? To have and to hold from this day forward. To honour and to cherish, in good times and in bad. In sickness and in health, 'til death do you part?"

Jess approached the town centre, where the town's princess was getting married to the wrong prince. For a second, he considered turning and going back. Then hearing the minister's next question to Rory he decided against it and paused at the back of the group of wedding goers.

"…To have and to hold from this day forward. To honour and to cherish, in good times and in bad. In sickness and in health, 'til death do you part?" Without think Jess stepped into the aisle and walked towards Rory.

"Wait." Jess called out. Everyone in the square turned to look at him. "Don't marry him… Marry me."

"What? No. Jess, you can't do this." Rory looked madder than Jess had ever seen her.

"C'mon, Rory. It's perfect. All your friends and family are here, do it. Marry me!" Jess pleaded.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Rory cried, reminiscent of past experiences.

"And don't say no, when what you really want to say is yes!" He begged her. He too had learnt from past experiences and this time he was not giving up without a fight.

Rory turned to Jess's uncle. "Luke, will you get him outta here?" She ordered. Standing up, Luke took Jess gruffly by the arm, "C'mon Jess. It's better for everyone this way."

In a last attempt to reach the part of Rory's heart that he occupied, Jess started talking. "Look. We could be doing this for the rest of our lives! You'll tell me no, I'll walk away, you'll come to your senses two years later and realise that you really do love me and we could be running this circuit for the rest of our lives, is that what you want?"

"Yeah Rory. Is that what you want?" After being silent throughout this whole scene, Ben made his simple plea. Rory looked from Jess to Ben and back to Jess again.

"No. It's not what I want." She replied simply.

Nobody knew if it was a 'no' in Jess's favour, or a 'no' in Ben's favour, but either way, somebody was going to be left heartbroken.

"Please, just go. You made your choice. I'm marrying Ben. Go away." Rory told him.

Jess almost let Luke lead him away from the ceremony. And then he decided to give it one last shot. "Rory, listen to yourself. You're telling me to go away, so you can marry someone you don't love. You came to me yesterday and told me you hadn't moved on and you're still marrying him." He begged, gesturing to Ben.

"I can't listen to myself, I'm too busy listening to you, which, I'd like to add, you should be doing! You turned me down. Told me to leave and get on with my life. So I did, I am! I moved on and I do love Ben! I'm marrying Ben and there's nothing you can do or say that will change my mind! Now leave!" Rory yelled.

That was it. Jess had sunk to the lowest of lows. He'd humiliated himself in front of the whole town and then some. He been rejected in front of the whole town and then some. He wasn't going to give it anymore. As Kirk once said, "It died. Build a coffin for it, put some pennies for it's eyes coz that stuff ain't breathin'." And although Jess never thought he'd rely on Kirk, or anyone for advice, that's exactly what he was going to do. Build a coffin for it and get over it. He'd have some coffee at Luke's and then he'd head back to New York. Maybe Jemima would take him back. But then, he'd never really been one to beg, until Rory. He and Luke walked back to the diner in silence. Once there, without a word, Luke pulled out a cup and poured a coffee and handed it to Jess. Then, understanding Luke walked right out the door and in burst angry/irritable Luke.

"What the hell do you think you're playing at?" Luke demanded. When Jess didn't answer, he just got madder. "Well?" He asked again.

"Whatever, I don't have to deal with this." He muttered. He then got up to leave and Luke blocked the exit. "What the… Move. You don't want me here, I don't wanna be here, so just get outta my way. It's a win-win situation." Jess remarked.

"You actually thought you would get Rory back after all these years of nothing? Or was it just a game? 'How much of a bad memory can I make Rory's wedding day.' You're twenty-two years old now Jess. I thought you'd moved on. You were marrying whatsherface, things were moving on! What happened?" Luke demanded again. He was damn well going to get some answers out of this kid, if it was the last thing he did.

"Don't you have a wedding to be going back to?" Jess asked simply.

"Damnit Jess! I want answers!"

"You want answers? Fine! Rory came to me! Rory came to my apartment in New York and told me she hadn't moved on and that she still loved me. She. Came. To. Me." He said enunciating each word. "Not quite the princess you thought, is she? Why did I come here? Because I, like every other human on this planet, made a mistake! It was a case of "you-don't-know-what-you've-got-til-it's-gone" okay? Does that explain it all? Now I'm leaving!" Without another word, Jess stepped around Luke and left the diner.

What a waste of damn time! This was mistake of gigantic proportions. Life didn't get much worse than this. He almost contemplated going back, just to see Rory happy. In all the commotion, he Jess never really got a proper look at her dress. She looked gorgeous on a normal day, so he was sure she'd have looked breath-taking on her wedding day. Lost in his thoughts, Jess didn't hear his name being called as he reached the outskirts of town.

"JESS!" He turned around and his breath caught in his throat.

"What are you doin' here? Don't you have a father-daughter dance or something cheesy like that to be getting on with?" He tried to keep all emotion from escaping through his voice.

"I would if I hadn't done something cheesy like cancel the wedding half way through and run off, searching for the guy who interrupted my wedding proclaiming his love for me." She replied.

"So, you're not married?" Jess asked gingerly.

"Nope, not married."

"Because of me?"

"Because of you. So, I know it's been a while but I'm going to kiss you now okay?" Instead of insulting her with a reply, her grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him. The instant their lips met, Jess felt complete. Something he hadn't felt for a very long time. God, it had been so long. How had he ever survived without this? Why had he even tried? Nothing was better than this. Jess deepened the kiss. He'd never be able to get enough of her. For as long as they lived, Jess felt that forever together just wouldn't be enough. An involuntary groan escaped his lips when she shoved him away from her.

"I want you to say it." She announced, glaring into his eyes.

"Rory, I've had enough of the games." He was tired of having to fight for her, he wanted to grab hold of her and never let go.

"I want you to say the words. None of this 'I haven't moved on business.'" She proclaimed. When Jess, just met her stare, obviously not having caught on, Rory elaborated. "I want words. Think three."

Did she think he wouldn't be able to do it? Did she think that he had to think about it at all? He grasped her hips again and pulled her to him.

"I love you. I've always loved you. Is that what you were looking for?"

"Yeah." Came her simple reply. Their lips met once again and this time it was Jess who broke the kiss.

"Okay, now I want the words. It's all good and well for me to have come all this way to break up your wedding and have you standing here with me now, but how do I know you won't run back to him in the morning?" He queried.

"Jess, I love you. I'm not going anywhere this time. This time it's gonna take a five thousand strong army and tanker to get me to leave. Now you stop with the talking and let me kiss you." With that Rory and Jess had cemented their relationship. Jess felt like the luckiest guy on the planet right now. Of course he felt a little bad for the guy Rory had ditched at the altar, but in the long run, he'd really done him a favour. So, this was it. Rory was Jess's, Jess was Rory's and that was the way it was meant to be.

A/N: OK guys just one more chapter to wrap up and then I'm done!

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	13. Drive Time at Five

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Drive Time at Five

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A/N: Thankyou everyone for all your support and encouragement! I'm definitely inspired to do more fanfic writing now! I think this chapter gives my readers the closure they're looking for and it's a good wrap up! Enjoy!

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Disclaimer: For the last time on this story. Thanks Amy!

The wind breezing through the car, on the open highway gave Rory a sense of completeness, in the highest meaning of the word. Nonchalantly, she flicked the radio on. It didn't matter what was playing. She felt, that no song could ruin her mood, thus every song had to be good. Suddenly, Jess reached over from the passenger seat and changed the station.

"I hate that song." He told her plainly.

Hearing the next song, Rory too changed the station. "And I hate that song."

"What's wrong with Sister Hazel?"

"What's wrong with Mariah Carey?" They each asked in unison.

Again, in unison, they both replied, "It reminds me of the day I almost lost you."

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"How you doin'? I'm Mark Ferguson keeping you company all the way home on Drive time at Five, on New York's WHCR, 90.3 FM…"

Jess picked up the steering wheel lock and took aim at the radio. "JESS!" Rory cried, reaching for the 'off' switch. "When we're in your car, you can smash all you want." She told him as-matter-of-factly.

"Except, my car wouldn't be tuned in to crappy radio stations, hosted by crappy DJ guys, that play crappy songs in attempts to keep me from finding you." Jess told her back.

"Did you just ask me what's wrong with Mariah Carey? You did! You just said 'What's wrong with Mariah Carey?' How very pop prince of you!" She mocked.

"If you ever call me that I swear pain will be involved." He exclaimed.

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"Heartbreaker you've got the best of me…" Rory started to hum the Mariah Carey tune.

"Yes, I do have the best of you and the worst of you and everything in between." Jess told her matter-of-factly. Rory smiled contentedly. Had they not passed the _'Welcome to Stars Hollow' _sign a few hours later, she would have been tempted to pinch herself in the effort to convince herself that she was not waking up from a dream. She'd been able to persuade Jess to live in Stars Hollow with her, although he didn't like it, he was not willing to risk losing her again, by saying no.

Pulling up outside their new place, Jess stayed glued to the steering wheel, even after Rory had gotten out of the car. She went round to his side and opened the door. She grabbed his hand and after a little persuasion managed to coerce him out of the car. Hands still locked together, Rory looked at Jess and smiled.

"You know? I think this is gonna work." He simply squeezed her hand and followed her inside.

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A/N: I know, I'm sorry it's so short, but it was mainly just a wrap up! Thanks for reading and reviewing, you've all given me faith in my writing!


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